THE SOCIETY

The Richmond Hill, Georgia Historical Society is a membership-based, non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and educate people on Richmond Hill's richly diverse past. Members enjoy a monthly lecture series, interesting field trips, special events and community projects. Whether you're a native or a newcomer, we hope you will join us!

Keep up with the latest news!

City of Richmond Hill Adopts Historic Preservation Ordinance

In a city full of rich history with many buildings dating back to the days of Henry Ford and before, the City of Richmond Hill felt it was important to adopt a Historic Preservation Ordinance to help preserve the city’s history for future generations.

During 2016, the former Ford Bakery was in jeopardy of being demolished which encouraged action by the Richmond Hill community. A committee comprised of representatives from the City of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill Convention and Visitors Bureau, Richmond Hill Historical Society and community volunteers worked with Rebecca Fenwick, historic preservationist for Lominack Kolman Smith Architects and Allison Asbrock, outreach program manager for the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office to develop the ordinance and then held three public hearing on the matter. Following the hearings, the City of Richmond Hill’s City Council voted unanimously to approve the historic preservation ordinance specifically outlining the creation of a historic preservation commission.

“The ordinance will not only preserve our city’s historical buildings and artifacts, but it will allow the city to be eligible for preservation grants,” said Russ Carpenter, mayor of the City of Richmond Hill. “Preserving our rich history is key for the city.”

The committee will have five members to oversee the preservation of historic assets. In addition to the representatives from the City of Richmond Hill, the committee will work closely with the Richmond Hill Historical Society.

Upcoming Events:

March 2, 2019:

Cars & Coffee Richmond Hill takes place the first Saturday of each month (March - October) from 9 - 11 a.m. at the beautiful Richmond Hill History Museum.

Cars & Coffee is a great place for car enthusiasts to come together for a morning of good conversation, coffee, and fun! Here, you can meet new friends, swap stories, and get some tips on a project you may be working on.

The grounds of the Richmond Hill History Museum, formerly the Henry Ford Kindergarten building, is the perfect place for this popular community event. Bring any car you feel is unique, special, rare, or antique, or just bring the family to have a look around.

Ford Firetruck Returns to Richmond Hill

Recently, members of the Richmond Hill Historical Society were able to locate and acquire the 1937 Ford Fire Truck that we believe was supplied by Henry Ford and used in Ways Station/Richmond Hill during the Ford-era.

The truck is still in a very solid condition but the Richmond Hill Historical Society would like to restore it to its original beauty. Your donations and sponsorship can help us meet our goal of $50,000 to restore and house the truck.